The US wants India to encircle China in China’s west; Japan wants India to join it in confronting China, Russia wants to have a Russia-China-India alliance while China wants to solve border disputes to improve ties with India.

When Modi won the election, he said good relations with China were his priority, but the US and Japan soon invited Modi to visit them in order to win him over.

The US does not seem to have made much progress in mending ties with Modi, perhaps because it has snubbed Modi for too long. Japanese Prime Minister Abe seems to have won over Modi, perhaps due to his personal friendship.

In a speech in Tokyo on September 1, Modi said, “The world is divided into two camps. One camp believes in expansionist policies, while the other believes in development. We have to decide whether the world should get caught in the grip of expansionist policies or we should lead it on the path of development and create opportunities that take it to greater heights.”

These words gave the impression that Modi had attacked China, and had joined Japan in confronting China.

Anyway as Japan promised to provide India a loan exceeding $500 million, Modi had to say something to please Abe. His best strategy is to please all the four suitors so as to get benefits from all of them. I believe Modi is clever enough to play such a diplomatic game.

Abe, however, does not rest at ease. He is afraid that with Xi’s charm, Chinese President Xi might win over India when Xi visits India in mid September. Abe visited India in haste to counter Xi’s visit and consolidate the partnership he had built with India.

In its report today, Reuters regard Modi’s recent efforts to develop the disputed border area with China as an action to deal with China. The following is the full text of Reuters report:

With eye on China, Modi’s India to develop disputed border region

India has eased restrictions on building roads and military facilities along its disputed border with China, as the new government seeks to close the gap on its neighbour’s superior transport network, and take a stronger stance on Beijing.

Indian environment minister Prakash Javadekar told Reuters he had relaxed environmental rules within 100 km (62 miles) of the contested border in remote Arunachal Pradesh in order to speed up construction of some 6,000 km of roads.

The move, which also allows for the construction of army stations, arms depots, schools and hospitals in the sparsely populated Himalayan region, was announced days before Chinese President Xi Jinping visits India on Sept. 17-18.

“This is about defence preparedness,” said Javadekar. “On the Chinese side of the border, not only have they built good roads, they are building up their railway network. Our army faces problems because of the bad quality of roads,” he added.

Work on the roads will start in the coming months.

India’s shift is consistent with expectations that Hindu nationalist Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who swept to power in elections four months ago, would take a tougher line on territorial disputes with neighbouring countries.

Asian great-power diplomacy stirred to life when Modi made clear his intention to play an active role on the world stage by inviting regional leaders to his inauguration in May.

His first bilateral visit outside the region was to Japan, and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe made a two-stop tour of South Asia earlier this month, pre-empting Xi’s trip to the region this week.

“COMPLETE SHIFT IN THINKING”

After taking office, Modi moved quickly to appoint a former army chief as a minister for the northeast border region to accelerate development.

China has vastly improved roads and is building or extending airports on its side of the border in Tibet.

According to a 2010 Pentagon report, it had placed nuclear-capable intermediate missiles in the area and deployed around 300,000 troops across the Tibetan plateau.

The Modi government’s roads program could aid plans to establish a mountain strike corps of 80,000 troops who can move easily along its border.

The world’s two most populous nations fought a brief frontier war in the area in 1962, and Chinese maps still show all of Arunachal Pradesh within China’s borders.

Indian efforts at development in the region have been relatively restrained in recent years. In 2013, Modi’s predecessor announced plans for 850 km (530 miles) of new roads in the border region, and proposals to upgrade airfields made little headway.

Previous governments deliberately neglected infrastructure in Arunachal Pradesh, partly to create a natural buffer against any Chinese invasion. That policy was dropped when the extent of development on China’s side became clear.

DEPENDENCE AND DISTRUST

The neighbours have a complicated relationship marked by growing economic ties but also distrust, particularly over their unresolved territorial disputes.

The two armies were locked in a three-week standoff in May 2013 in the western Himalayas after Chinese troops set up a camp at least 10 km (6 miles) inside territory claimed by India, triggering calls that India should stand up to its neighbour.

Speaking in Beijing recently, Indian National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, a hawkish former spy chief who has in the past expressed doubts about China’s motives, said the two nations’ disputed border would be discussed during Xi’s visit.

“Both sides have agreed to take steps to ensure the peace and tranquility of the border, and seek a fair, reasonable resolution both sides can accept on the basis of peaceful, friendly talks and consultations,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying told a news briefing on Thursday.

Under the easing of environmental rules, Javadekar said road building within 100 km of the “Line of Actual Control” – the de facto but disputed border between India and China – would be brought under a single general approval scheme, while the amount of reforestation required would be lowered.

India is also pushing ahead with a proposal for electricity projects in states bordering China, and has said it will continue even if international development agencies which had earmarked cash to support the underdeveloped region do not back schemes in areas claimed by China.

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About chankaiyee2

Author of the book "Tiananmen's Tremendous Achievements" about how with the help of Tiananmen Protests, talented scholars with moral integrity seized power in the Party and state and brought prosperity to China.
The second edition of the book will be published within a few days to mark the 25th anniversary of Tiananmen Protests
All the parts in the first edition remain in the second edition with a few changes due to information available later and better understanding. There are also some changes for improvements of style.
The new parts are Chapters 12-19 on events in China after the first edition was published: The fierce power struggle for succession between reformists and conservatives; Xi Jinping winning all elders’ support during his mysterious disappearance for 2 weeks in early September, 2012; and Xi Jinping Cyclone.
Chan Kai Yee's new book:
SPACE ERA STRATEGY: The Way China Beats The US
An eye-opening book that tells the truth how the US is losing to China.
The US is losing as it adopts the outdated strategy of Air-Sea Battle while China adopts the space era strategy to pursue integrated space and air capabilities:
It is losing due to its diplomacy that has given rise to Russian-Chinese alliance.
US outdated strategy has enabled China to catch up and surpass the US in key weapons:
Hypersonic weapons (HGV) that Pentagon regards as the weapon that will dominate the world in the future.
Aerospaceplane in China’s development of space-air bomber that can engage enemy anywhere in the world within an hour and destroy an entire aircraft carrier battle group within minutes.
Anti-satellite (ASAT) weapons, anti-ASAT weapons, stealth aircrafts, drones, AEW&C, etc. The book gives detailed descriptions of China’s weapon development based on information mainly from Chinese sources that the author monitors closely.
U.S. Must Not Be Beaten by China!
China is not a democracy. Its political system cannot prevent the emergence of a despotic leader or stop such a leader when he begins to bring disasters to people. A few decades ago, Mao Zedong, the worst tyrant in world history did emerge and bring disasters to Chinese people. He wanted to fight a nuclear war to replace capitalism with communism but could not bring nuclear holocaust to world people as China was too weak and poor at that time.
If a despot like Mao Zedong emerges when China has surpassed the US in military strength, world people will suffer the misery experienced by Chinese people in Mao era.
China surpassing the US in GDP is not something to worry about as China has the heavy burden to satisfy its huge population, but China surpassing the US in military strength will be world people’s greatest concern if China remains an autocracy.
US people are of much better quality than Chinese people. What they lack is a wise leader to adopt the correct strategy and diplomacy and the creative ways to use its resources in developing its military capabilities. I hope that with the emergence of a great leader, the US can put an end to its decline and remain number one in the world.
China, US, space era strategy, air-sea battle, space-air bomber, arms race, weapon development, chan kai yee